Last week, Emmanuel Macron, 48, charmed Mumbai like only a Frenchman can. He landed late at night along with his wife Brigitte, 72, checked into The Taj, and the very next morning he was in his shorts jogging along Marine Drive with minimal security and braving poor AQI. Morning walkers were pleasantly surprised to see the French head of state in their midst. He next paid a late-night visit to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus where Pakistani terrorists had executed a massacre.
The city is preparing for Holi festivities with shops in Masjid Bandar
displaying vibrant colours, balloons and water guns. | Vijay Gohil
He also paid tributes to the martyrs near the Police Gymkhana. While at Lok Bhavan, aka Raj Bhavan, he apparently fell in love with “vada pav.” We don’t know if he bit into a fried green chilli, without which “vada pav” is no fun. Before checking out, he made it a point to take a group photo on the carpeted steps of the old Taj with the staff who looked after him and his entourage. Incidentally, a new restaurant called Pardon My French has opened at Adi Marzban Lane, not far from GPO.
Climate meet and mangrove protest
A high-profile meet on climate change was held last week in a five-star ambience. However, when Bandra girl Natasha Periera and a few others held high placards protesting the proposed cutting of 45,000 mangroves for the coastal road extension, the organisers took strong objection and threatened to summon the cops!! It’s all fine to invite Hillary Clinton and other high-profile dignitaries and discuss climate change. But certainly, issues like mangrove cutting and the wiping out of an entire forest in Nicobar Island ought to have been taken up. These are precisely the issues that Natasha and her team wanted to focus the attention of the delegates on.
Clear footpaths at last
The other day, I went to Shivaji Park Gymkhana for lunch with a friend and, after a modest meal of lemon coriander soup and cheese chilli toast, decided to walk down to Dadar railway station, braving the heat. I just couldn’t believe my eyes!! There was not a single hawker. Until recently, one could not even see the footpaths in this area, forget walking on them. I actually walked on the pavement alongside Gokhale Road, picked up a parcel of “aluwadi” from ancient Mama Kane, crossed the railway bridge, and went to Dadar East without any hindrance. It was a dream come true. This proves that if the BMC and the cops want, they can do anything… even give us clear footpaths.
Tailpiece
A wag commented: “For so many decades, Mumbaikars have been forced to walk on roads since the footpaths were encroached that they now have to be taught to use the pavements which are free of hawkers now!” (Compiled by S Balakrishnan)
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